Tuesday, October 16, 2012

The editors of Guitar World have compiled a new book on the history of Van Halen.

“Van Halen: 40 Years Of The Great American Rock Band” tells readers everything they ever wanted to know about the legendary rockers.

The book is the ultimate collection of interviews with and stories about Van Halen — from their beginnings as a young rock act on the Sunset Strip through their critically acclaimed 2012 comeback album, “A Different Kind of Truth.”

Readers will learn everything there is to know about every era of Van Halen, including:

• The 50 greatest Van Halen songs of all time, from “Runnin’ with the Devil” to “Tattoo” and every classic song in between. GW’s editors pick the best of the best.

• The complete history of Van Halen — their early struggles as an unknown rock outfit to their ascension to worldwide superstar status, as well as the revolving door of singers that fronted the band after the initial departure of David Lee Roth.

• The making of nearly every Van Halen record in the band’s extensive catalog.

• Revealing interviews with Eddie Van Halen in which he details his guitar playing on nearly every Van Halen album, the gear he used during recordings and onstage, his relationships with his bandmates past and present and his longtime battle with alcohol.